Monday, March 19, 2012

Avalanche hits Kashmir

Gale blows away roofs, uproots trees, snaps power supply
Schools closed, people asked to stay indoors in Kashmir

The overnight gale across Kashmir that uprooted trees and blew away the roof tops at several places forced authorities to close down schools in the region for today.

The gale that started last night and is still continuing snapped the power supply across Kashmir.

The authorities have declared holiday for the schools and have asked people to stay indoors to avoid causalities from flying objects and falling trees.

The traffic on the roads is very thin as people have preferred to stay indoors.

The authorities are assessing the situation and loss caused by the gale.

Meanwhile, three laborers working with the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) were rescued while two are still trapped under a snow avalanche that hit their vehicle in Gurez last evening.

Reports reaching here said that an avalanche hit village Badwan in Gurez at around 6 p.m. yesterday and a Tata Sumo that was on its way Kishanganga dam site to village Badwan was buried under it.

The Sumo was carrying four laborers. Two laborers and driver were rescued by a joint rescue team of Police, army and local while operation to rescue two others is going on.

Two laborers were from Kishtiwar and one each from Baramulla and Gurez. Out of the two missing, one is from Kishtiwar and another from Gurez.

The three rescued laborers have been admitted in hospital at Gurez and condition of them is out of danger.

The administration has kept Indian Air Force helicopters on stand standby for evacuating the injured to Srinagar in the morning in case it is required.

The heavy rains and freak weather is hampering the rescue operation that was launched immediately after the avalanche hit the village.. However, no damage was done in the village.

MLA Gurez, Nazir Ahmad Khan told News Agency that he was monitoring the rescue operation and has directed the authorities operation should be continued till the two other missing laborers are traced.

It may be mentioned here that 16 army personnel were killed when an avalanche struck Brigade headquarter of army in Gurez last month.

This year due to heavy snowfall in North Kashmir along the Line of Control avalanches damaged the fence at several places and at most of places it is buried under snow. The maximum damage was caused in Gurez army posts have been vacated after threat of avalanches.

The avalanche last month also killed three army personnel in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal when an avalanche hit an army camp at tourist place of Sonmarg.

Over two dozen villagers and employees of Sonmarg Development Authority were rescued from village Shitkara and Sonmarg last month by army, police and local administration after they were trapped in snow avalanches.

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